Former Penfield boys soccer coach John Butterworth

Former Penfield boys soccer coach John Butterworth

The latest class of the Section V Soccer Hall of Fame, includes a former national high school coach of the year finalist.

John Butterworth, who coached the mighty Penfield boys varsity for 27 seasons, is part of this year’s eight-man induction class. The group includes former players: Mike Campisi (Aquinas), Jim Gentile (Spencerport), Peter Grillo (Marshall), Carl Hopfinger (Pittsford Sutherland), Mike Jacobson (Pittsford Mendon), John Martello (Eastridge) and Brian Usinger (Penfield).

Penfield remained one of the state’s winningest large-school programs after Butterworth was hired as coach in 1985. Butterworth led 11 Section V championship teams, including the state champions at Penfield in 2001, 2002 and 2004.

The 62-year old Pittsford graduate is a three-time Democrat and Chronicle All-Greater Rochester Coach of the Year, an honor he was a finalist for on a national level 10 years ago.

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Former Penfield’s goal keeper Kyle Zinter dumps a gallon of water on head coach John Butterworth after beating Massapequa in the 2004 State Class AA Boys Soccer Championship.

East Rochester/Gananda quarterback Patrick Shanley. 2014 file photo.

East Rochester/Gananda moved into the semifinals of the Section V Class C Football Tournament, when South Seneca/Romulus/Trumansburg forfeited the first round game scheduled Friday night.

South Seneca/Romulus/Trumansburg informed Section V football chairman Dick Cerone it was unable to dress 18 players for the game, the minimum required by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association.

Cerone said the South Seneca/Romulus/Trumansburg shortage of players was connected to a fight the team was involved in during a Week 7 game against Lyons/Sodus.

Schedule: Section V football playoffs

Dennis Greco, East Rochester/Gananda’s coach, said he was informed Thursday. School suspensions and unmet academic standards also were factors, according to Greco.

“If you knew last week, why did you wait until Thursday?” Greco said. “Maybe the No. 9 team would’ve moved up to play in sectionals.

“There’s no chance now, but I’m not sure if that could’ve happened.”

East Rochester/Gananda, the tournament’s No. 1 seed, plays the winner of the first round game Friday between No. 4 Lyons/Sodus (5-2) and No. 5 Elba/Byron-Bergen.

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Five things to watch in Class A football

Irondequoit’s Shawn Jones is tackled by Greece Athena’s Kenny Speed in the second quarter at Greece Athena High School.

Greece Athena’s Ta’Von Granison avoids a tackle by Irondequoit’s Fooquan Peace to score in a play that would end up in a 14-6 lead for the Trojans in the first quarter at Greece Athena High School.

Another Greece Athena football season was in Tavon Granison’s hands.

That’s going to happen, because Granison is Athena’s quarterback. His role was underlined by some drama late Saturday afternoon.

Athena was down by one point with 2 minutes, 33 seconds remaining, so the Trojans needed some type of score or Granison and his teammates would be eliminated from the Section V Class A Tournament. The team trying to stop the Trojans offense, 61 yards away from the end zone? None other than Irondequoit, the team that turned back Athena in last season’s Section V Class A final.

“You know, at the end of the game we have to go play by play,” Granison said. “We have players on our team that can score from any spot on the field. We might bend a little bit, we might get tackled in the backfield or throw an incompletion.

“But our coach always preaches, bend but don’t break. So in the last drive we had to go play by play. It worked out in our favor.”

Granison took off for the end zone late in the fourth quarter and landed across the goal line with 39.6 seconds remaining, the winning score in the Trojans’ 35-28 win over Irondequoit at Athena,

After the Trojans tacked on two points, the team’s defense stopped Irondequoit near the Athena 6-yard line on the final play of the first-round tournament game.

It is on to the semifinals for No. 3 seed Athena (6-2) , where the Trojans play No. 2 Canandaigua (6-2), 4 p.m. on Halloween at Sahlen’s Stadium in Rochester. No. 6 Irondequoit finished with a 4-4 record after an 0-2 start.

“It was a battle of wills,” Irondequoit coach Dan Fichter said. “This is really tough, but these guys (at Irondequoit), go down to the wire. That’s what is great about these guys.”

Irondequoit’s Devyn Walker holds onto the ball while tackled by Greece Athena’s Ta’Von Granison in the second quarter at Greece Athena High School.

The Eagles failed on their first two conversion attempts after touchdowns, but took their only lead with 2:33 remaining. Irondequoit’s running game looked good most of the afternoon, and it was freshman Frederick June Jr. who scored on a 20-yard run and during the two-point conversion to put the Eagles on top, 28-27.

A short kickoff gave Athena the ball at its 39. Granison was sacked during Athena’s final offensive drive, but he also completed an 11-yard pass to junior Kyle Benham on third-and-2 at the Athena 43. An 18-yard pass to Kenny Speed later converted a fourth-and-11 for the Trojans.

“We didn’t panic,” Benham said. “We just knew that we had to do what we were doing all game, just keep driving forward.

‘We were getting a good push each drive. We didn’t have to panic, just finish.”

Five plays after Speed’s reception, including a pass in the middle of the field that was tipped and almost intercepted, Athena had the ball on the Irondequoit 4. Granison took the snap in a shotgun formation, ran to his right and launched himself into the air.

“The call was just a keep right,” Granison said. “Usually, I’m supposed to go to the outside, but pre-snap I was going to go to the left. It looked like we had a better number (matchup) on the left, but I didn’t want to (change) the game plan completely, so I ran to the right.

“I seen the blitzing linebacker did his job, and contained the outside, so I cut in. I seen two guys, and I was going to try and lower my shoulder and use my momentum to get me into the end zone. But I knew there were two (there), and maybe I would go back, so I just jumped up.”

The Eagles tried to jump up and snatch the win away. A long pass to Ty’Sean Sizer put the ball at the Athena 6 with nine-tenths of a second remaining. Frederick Jr. took the next snap in shotgun formation, faked a handoff, but there was nowhere to run.

“We had run that play all day, chewing up yards,” Fichter said. “It was our best play, with our best guys.”

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Aquinas quarterback Jake Zembiec throws a pass rolling out of the pocket during a regular season game played at McQuaid Jesuit High School on Saturday, October 10, 2015.

Week 1 – Syracuse Christian Brothers Academy

14 for 20, 197 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT

 * Played through one series in the third quarter.

Week 2 – Delaware Valley Charter

16 for 24, 228 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT

 * Played through one series in the third quarter. 

Week 3 – Buffalo Saint Joseph

9 for 18, 158 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INT

* Played three quarters.

Week 4 – Buffalo Saint Francis

13 for 14, 317 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs.

* Played through one series in the third quarter.

Week 5 – Buffalo Bishop Timon

12 for 18, 168 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs

* Played three quarters. 

Week 6 – McQuaid Jesuit

15 for 19, 313 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT

* Played the first half.

Week 7 – Buffalo Canisius

12 for 18, 199 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT

* Played midway through the third quarter. 

Sectionals

AA quarterfinals – Fairport

13 for 20, 201 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs

***

Totals– 104 for 151, 1,781 yards, 25 TDs, 4 INTs

68.9 completion percentage, 17.1 yards per completion

Mercy’s Julia Andreach competes during the Section V State Qualifier played at the Mendon Racquet & Pool Club on Oct. 24, 2015.

Eighth-grader Julia Andreach of Mercy defeated defending champion Tami Comins of Pittsford Mendon in straight sets in the singles final of the girls tennis Section V state qualifier tournament on Saturday.

Andreach, who is in her second year at the varsity level, won 6-0, 6-2 in the championship.

“I’m really excited,” Andreach said of the win. “My backhand felt good today. I thought it was really on.”

She added that she is “really happy” to be representing the Monarchs in the state tennis tournament.

Comins was looking to defend her title after not dropping a set in singles play against Section V competition a year ago.

In the doubles tournament, Pittsford Mendon’s Joyce Luo and Liza Pinchman defeated Brighton’s Olga Shvetsova and Rene Gangarosa 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

Luo and Pinchman have been playing together for the last four years and are making their first state appearance together.

Singles

Semifinals: Comins d. Holland Long (Hilton) 6-3, 6-0; Andreach d. Megan Gamble (Webster Schroeder) 6-1, 2-6, 6-3

Consolation: Long d. Gamble 6-4, 7-6 (4)

Doubles

Semifinals: Luo/Pinchman d. Xilin Zhou/Catherine Gamble (Schroeder) 6-1, 6-2; Schvetsova/Gangarosa d. Emily Stanley/Sarah Marro (Victor) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

Consolation: Zhou/Gamble d. Stanley/Marro 7-6, 6-4.

Soccer

Class AA quarterfinals

No. 1 Fairport 1, No. 9 Gates-Chili 0

Dori Rizzo scored two minutes into the second half for Fairport (13-4), assisted by Megan Konieczny. Claire Mulholland made four saves in the shutout.

No. 5 Penfield 1, No. 4 Hilton 0

Sarah Giancursio scored the game-winning goal off an assist from Lindsay Farrance early in the second half to lift Penfield (6-5-6).

No. 6 Churchville-Chili 1, No. 4 Webster Schroeder 0

Alley Ariola scored the lone goal off a corner kick for the Saints (7-6-4).

Class A quarterfinals

No. 2 Wayne 3, No. 7 Aquinas 2

Taylor Gabriel finished with two goals and Adrianna VanCuyck added another goal and an assist for Wayne (17-).

Gabriel scored the winner in the 78th minute for the Eagles off an assist from VanCuyck.

No. 2 Victor 4, No. 7 Webster Thomas 0

Kaci Messier scored two goals and Kate Leonard added two goals and one assist for Victor (11-3-3).

Angela Ratka made seven saves in net for the Blue Devils.

No. 9 Brighton 3, No. 1 Spencerport 2

Ally Thayer recorded a hat trick to lead Brighton (10-8-0).

Lauren Donnelly, Lena Lucas and Maggie Klem each recorded an assist for the Barons.

Lila Platt totaled eight saves for Brighton.

Spencerport finishes 12-3-2.

No. 4 Greece Arcadia 1, No. 5 Pittsford Sutherland 1

Arcadia won 4-2 in penalty kicks

Lily Schultz scored a goal in the 16th minute for Arcadia (14-3-1).

Grace Allen tied the game in the second half for Sutherland (12-4-2).

Lauren Opladen tallied 18 saves for the Titans.

Class D1 quarterfinals

No. 5 York 1, No. 4 Arkport 0

Lauren Kennedy scored the lone goal in the first half to lead York (13-3-2).

Kim Lubanski had five saves to record the shutout.

No. 8 Wheatland-Chili 2, No. 1 Fillmore 0

Hannah Callaghan and Morgan Franklin each scored in the upset for the Wildcats (11-6-1).

Lexi Combs and Cassie Parker tallied the assists on the goals.

Fillmore finished 16-1.

Class D2 quarterfinals

No. 4 Belfast 1, No. 5 Prattsburgh 0

Jessica Williams scored early in the second half to lift Belfast (11-6-1).

Morgan Hamer totaled nine saves for Belfast.

No. 2 Naples 1, No. 7 Mount Morris 0

Emma Lincoln scored for Naples (14-2-1).

Cross country

Marion Invitational

Team: 1. Rush-Henrietta 32; 2. Williamsville North-VI (58); 3. Victor 73; 4. Wayne 151; 5. Red Creek 158; 6. Wayland-Cohocton 161; 7. Midlakes 199; 8. Mynderse 201; 9. Clyde-Savannah 253; 10. Penn Yan 268; 11. Williamson 310; 12. Marcus Whitman 326.

Top 5: 1. Sammy Watson (R-H) 18:59; 2. Naomi Wistner (WN) 19:03; 3. Meghan Curtin (W-C) 19:25; 4. Bailey Pierce (R-H) 19:46; Vanessa Morgan (V) 20:10.

Adirondack Invitational

Mercy finished second out of 19 schools with a score of 86, behind Beaver River of Section III, which had 67.

Charlotte Curzweil, Mercy’s top runner, finished ninth with a time of 20:02.

Rush-Henrietta quarterback Jared Gerbino, avoiding pressure applied by Pittsford’s Jimmy Wilmett (63), helped the Royal Comets convert three third downs during the team’s game-winning drive last weekend.

Jared Gerbino, Rush-Henrietta’s quarterback, threw for less than 300 yards while he completed 56 percent of his passes last weekend during the Section V Class AA football tournament first round.

An all-time great performance? No, but it was memorable. Pittsford coach Keith Molinich has seen enough to be impressed. Gerbino and the rest of the Royal Comets defeated last year’s sectional finalist, 35-28, at Pittsford Sutherland.

The Royal Comets converted five of eight third down plays in the second half. Gerbino dragged a tackler or two during a run on third-and-three at the Rush-Henrietta 34, for the first of three consecutive third down conversions on the team’s game-winning, 84-yard scoring drive.

“Gerbino is one of the finest quarterbacks I’ve seen in New York state in a long time,” Molinich said. “I know somebody else gets a lot of talk, but to me, Gerbino is my favorite. I mean he’s big-time.’’

Here is a video clip of Gerbino after Rush-Henrietta’s win over Pittsford, followed by the latest set of Section V Ontario Honda High School Football Player of the Week. Ontario Honda’s players of the year awards are presented during the Section V Championships, Nov. 7-8 at Sahlen’s Stadium in Rochester.

Section V High School Football Players of the Week

OFFENSE

Class AA – Jared Gerbino(Rush-Henrietta): Senior quarterback threw two touchdown passes, including a 72-yarder to Joseph Ortiz, while completing 9 of 16 attempts for 222 yards during a 35-28 playoff win over Pittsford.

Class A – Tavon Granison (Greece Athena): Junior quarterback ran for the game-winning touchdown in Athena’s 35-28 playoff win over Irondequoit. Granison completed 13 of 21 throws for 270 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for two touchdowns.

Class B – Trenton Smith (Hornell): Smith, listed at 5 foot 7 inches and 155 pounds, ran for four touchdowns during Hornell’s 42-20 sectional-win over Newark. He carried 23 times for 234 yards, plus caught five passes for 100 yards, including a touchdown.

Class C – Alex Piechocki (Attica): Senior running back gained 207 yards on 25 carries, three for touchdowns, during a 20-19 loss to Le Roy.

Class D – Graham Freeman (Avon): Last season’s Section V Class DD champions improved to 8-0 after Freeman, a senior quarterback, ran for two touchdowns and threw a touchdown pass during a 33-6 win over Caledonia-Mumford. Graham finished with 162 yards on 26 carries.

DEFENSE

Class AA – Jack Hartnet (Penfield): While the Patriots are not in the Section V tournament, Hartnet continued to hustle in a consolation game. The senior linebacker made nine solo tackles and had three tackles for a loss against McQuaid.

Class A – Jason Williams (Greece Olympia): Junior linebacker made 13 tackles, five solo, and recovered two fumbles during a 42-34 loss to Brighton. Williams returned a fumble for a touchdown and also caused a fumble.

Class B – Tyler Crouch (Hornell): Senior linebacker was credited with 20 tackles, five solo, during Hornell’s win over Newark. Crouch has 104 tackles this season, while also playing running back. He averaged more than 10 yards a carry last week.

Class C – Mike Rice (Bath): Bath defeated Letchworth/Warsaw 44-0, while Rice made nine solo tackles, 12 overall, including three for losses. The senior defensive back also broke up three passes.

Class D – Jarrod Faniel (Clyde-Savannah): Senior linebacker made 15 solo tackles and assisted on another eight while Clyde-Savannah defeated Batavia Notre Dame, 41-20. Faniel also intercepted a pass and broke up another throw.

School of Inquiry’s Toyi Hakizimana and Byron Bergen’s Chase Felton go up for a head ball.

School of Inquiry goalie Michael Hunter makes a save on this point blank shot by Byron Bergen’s Mason Muoio (6).

Miguel Lopez earned a hat trick and Toyi Hakizimana tallied two goals and one assist for No. 1 World of Inquiry in a 6-0 win over No. 9 Byron-Bergen in a Section V Class C1 semifinal soccer game Wednesday.

Michael Hunter made five saves in the shutout.

Inquiry is (14-2-1).

Class C2 semifinals

No. 3 Bishop Kearney 3, No. 2 Keshequa 0

Justice Dayman and Deu Awuok each had a goal and an assist for BK (12-5-2).

Woochul Cho added a goal for the Kings.

Volleyball

Monroe County

Rush-Henrietta 26-25-25, Brockport 24-22-15

Steven Zarzycki recorded 17 kills and Siva Srithar added three aces and three digs for R-H (9-11).

Fairport 25-25-25, Churchville-Chili 13-12-21

Jake DeRue had 12 kills and two aces and Christian Cafarelli added 10 digs for Fairport (14-3).

Josh Mathews tallied nine kills for C-C (4-15).

Victor 25-25-25, Eastridge 14-7-15

Kyle Fumarsono had five aces and Ryan Fumarsono added seven digs for Victor (10-7).

Andrew Coffey had three aces and eight digs for Eastridge (1-18).

Webster 25-25-26, Gates Chili 18-23-24

Connor Spiegel had 13 kills and four blocks and Scott Skarzynski added 25 assists, 10 kills and 9 digs for Webster (9-9).

Kyle Gear had 15 kills for Gates Chili (12-7).

Brighton 25-25-25, Hilton 14-11-10

Tristan Judd tallied nine kills and three blocks and Luke Basler added five kills and two aces for Brighton (16-4).

Spencerport 25-25-25, Canandaigua 15-15-15

Josh Rabidoux had 15 kills and seven aces and Josh Ramos added five kills and five aces for Spencerport (16-3).

Nick MacLeod chipped in seven digs for the Rangers.

Penfield’s Jack Bittker, right, was both an All-Greater Rochester selection and Monroe County all-star in 2014.

Name: Jack Bittker.

School: Penfield.

Class/age: Junior/16.

Sport/position: Volleyball/outside hitter.

Family: Parents, Lori and Jim; brother, Max, 21; brother, Sam, 19.

Academics: 95 average.

Penfield junior outside hitter Jack Bittker

Last week: Finished with 15 kills during a victory in three sets over Fairport that clinched Penfield’s first Monroe County division title in six years. He also had nine kills Oct. 22 during a win in three sets over Victor.

The Patriots are 15-1 overall, 12-0 in division play, and contenders for the Section V Class A Championship. Sectionals begin Oct. 30.

About me: Team MVP in 2014 after his first varsity season, an award also won by his brother, Sam, who plays at Nazareth College. Players vote for the award. … 6-foot-3 inches and 185 pounds. … Wears uniform No. 15. “That was my brother’s number. He graduated two years ago. He’s a big role model for me.” … Also plays with Pace Bootlegger club team. The club’s 15/16-year-old team that included Bittker placed third at the 2015 nationals. … “I’m looking at going to George Mason University (Va.) or Princeton (N.J.). He plans to major in computer engineering. “I love math. I’m taking calculus BC, that’s two years accelerated. My oldest brother Max — he’s a genius. He didn’t play volleyball, but he actually won a hackathon.” … Favorite athlete is Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia.  … “I eat so much, I love food. I like sushi. There is this all-you-can-eat sushi place in Gates. You pay $20 and I’ll get $80 worth of sushi.”

Girls Athlete of the Week: Claire Myers

All of the Section V girls soccer semifinals scheduled for Wednesday were postponed based on weather forecasts, which included high winds and rain.

The Class AA semifinal matches are Saturday at Spencerport. No. 2 Victor plays No. 6 Churchville-Chili at noon. Top seed Fairport and No. 5 Penfield play at 2:30 p.m.

Webster Schroeder hosts the Class A semifinals with No. 2 Wayne vs. No. 6 Mercy at 1 p.m. and No. 4 Greece Arcadia versus No. 9 Brighton at 3:30 p.m. The finals are Nov. 3 at Schroeder, with Class A at 5 p.m., followed by Class AA at 7:30 p.m.

The four postponed Class D semifinals take place at four locations Friday. Warsaw is the site of the D1 semi between No. 5 York and No. 8 Wheatland-Chili at 6 p.m. No. 2 Naples and No. 6 Alfred-Almond play their D1 semifinal at 5 p.m. at Perry.

Whitesville, the No. 1 seed in Class D2, plays No. 2 Belfast at Wellsville at 6 p.m. No. 2 Finney and No. 6 Andover meet 5 p.m. at Cohocton Sports Complex in the second D2 semifinal.

The Section V girls soccer semifinals for Victor and Penfield take place on Halloween at Spencerport.

Canandaigua’s Mitch Schaefer has thrown 20 touchdown passes versus three interceptions this season.

While a certain reporter overlooked Canandaigua before this high school football season, coach Jeff Welch certainly took a good look at the team’s roster.

At quarterback was senior Mitch Schaefer, back for another season as a starter. Senior running back Coron Broomfield’s wait to become the featured running back was over. And maybe most importantly, Welch counted Monroe County league all-stars Ryan McIntosh and Austin Walden among the offensive linemen that includes four seniors.

So here is Canandaigua (6-2), the No. 2 seed, a semifinalist in the Section V Class A Tournament. Get past No. 2 Greece Athena (6-2) at6 4 p.m on Halloween at Sahlen’s Stadium, and a chance to win a sectional title for the first time in eight years belongs to Canandaigua.

“This is the first group that has come through all the way through the program together,” Welch said. “They’ve been playing sports together for years; they have a lot of competitive experience together.”

Welch said there are at least 10 lacrosse and five baseball players on the roster. There are wrestlers, too.

“It’s something I believe in,” Welch said. “I like having kids competing year-round.”

Schedule & results: Section V football playoffs

This is the first season with Welch as coach that Canandaigua has had a 1,000-yard passer and rusher in the same season, according to him.

Schaefer has thrown for 1,239 yards with 19 touchdowns and three interceptions, while completing 56.5 percent of his passes. Broomfield, who is listed at 5 feet 7 inches and 170 pounds, has 1,267 yards with 16 touchdowns on 143 carries. Canandaigua has scored 40 points a game, with no touchdowns provided by special teams or the team’s defense.

It was Canandaigua that handed Athena its first loss, 41-14, in Week 3.

Aquinas quarterback Jake Zembiec throws a pass rolling out of the pocket during a regular season game played at McQuaid Jesuit High School on Saturday, October 10, 2015.

Hilton’s handling of huge hurdle: Aquinas (8-0), Hilton’s Class AA semifinal opponent at 1 p.m. Sunday at Sahlen’s, scores. The lowest point total for Aquinas is 27, with senior and 2013 Class AA state player of the year Jake Zembiec at quarterback all season.

Zembiec missed most of the 2014 regular season with an injury to his left wrist, on his non-throwing arm.

“He knows exactly where the weakness is in a defense, pre-snap, where the opening may be,” Hilton coach Rich Lipani said. “He’s a little bit ahead of most high school quarterbacks.”

Hilton’s offense won’t be on the field at the same time as the Aquinas offense, but likely has to keep pace in order for the Cadets to win. Hilton junior quarterback Johnathan Letta would have a big part in that.

“He’s had a great year running and throwing the ball,” Lipani said. “He’s very ‘football smart’ and he’s made a lot of great plays.”

Letta has rushed for 200 or more yards in two games and has 13 touchdown passes this season, according to Lipani. Hilton’s offense has “elevated,” Lipani said, since Letta became the team’s starting quarterback in Week 5 of the 2014 season.

Jake Zembiec’s 2015 statistics

East Rochester/Gananda quarterback Patrick Shanley. 2014 file photo.

East Rochester/Gananda Bombers are grounded: ER/Gananda, the No. 1 seed in Class C, advanced to its 1 p.m. semifinal on Halloween at Honeoye Falls-Lima against No. 4 Lyons/Sodus (6-2), by forfeit. There is some concern about coming off an idle week.

“It’s unique in high school football to have a week off,” Greco said. “It’s been a long week. We’ve had good practices.”

Look for the Bombers to crank up a running game that has produced 2,892 yards with 42 rushing touchdowns.

“If those aren’t (team) records I’d be surprised,” Greco said.

Coaches Who Care: For Dennis Greco, coaching is all in the family

Bishop Kearney quarterback Todd LaRocca, here at the 2014 sectionals, threw three touchdown passes during an impressive win for the Kings over Batavia Notre Dame last week.

Faceoff with steamroller: Bishop Kearney middle linebacker Josh Jackson should have help, but he probably is the key figure in his team’s defense against Red Jacket’s running game.

No. 1 seed Red Jacket (8-0) and No. 5 Bishop Kearney (6-2) meet in one Class D semifinal, 1 p.m. on Halloween at Webster Thomas.

Jackson is a four-year starter, and as you may guess, a big hitter. He has the size to play in college at 6-1, 215 pounds. It’s no secret that Red Jacket senor Sean Sheets is the ballcarrier Jackson needs to key on.

“They do what they do very well,” Bishop Kearney coach Eddie Long said.

Kearney had little, if any, success standing up to Red Jacket’s power game in last year’s Class D final. The final score was 50-14.

Check on the champs: Victor (AA), Batavia (B), LeRoy (C), Red Jacket (D) and Avon (DD), Section V champions in 2014, are still in play for titles.

There is one “D” classification this season, that puts Avon and Red Jacket in the same tournament. Red Jacket is in position to win a third sectional title in three years, Avon a third championship in four seasons.

The last time four sectional champions won titles the following season was 2011. Will the 2015 season be a match?

JAMESJ@GANNETT.COM

Sutherland’s Matt Wang passes the ball while being pressured by HF-L’s David Goetz (4).

Honeoye Falls-Lima’s Bryan Wager is mobbed by teammates after scoring the winning goal on overtime to beat Pittsford Sutherland 2-1to win the Class A2 championship.

Bryan Wager scored the game-winning goal in overtime to lift No. 5 Honeoye Falls-Lima 2-1 over No. 2 Pittsford Sutherland for its second Section V Class A2 boys soccer championship is as many years on Friday evening in Spencerport.

“Oh, it’s crazy, it’s crazy,” Wager said of the win. “Getting to the finals two years in a row is an accomplishment. But this year, doing it again after losing all those seniors (last year), I can’t say enough good things about this team.”

Wager, who leads the Cougars (10-6-2) with 20 goals this season, opened the scoring 13 minutes into the game to give his team a 1-0 lead. He took the shot from about 16 yards out and finessed it toward the far-post for the goal.

Greece Athena repeats as Class A1 champs

HF-L controlled most of the remainder of the game following the goal and even missed a number of opportunities to put it further ahead. Pittsford Sutherland had plenty of chances, including numerous through balls to forward Jack Ramsager, but was unable to net them.

Then with 57 seconds remaining in the game, Sutherland’s (11-4-3) Matt Kaiser did something that the Cougars had seen before in the regular season: Kaiser buried a shot from outside the 18-yard box over goalie James Bonadonna to tie the game, 1-1.

Earlier this month, Kaiser scored a similar goal, but that one was to lift his team over HF-L in overtime.

The goal really was something special. Bonadonna even went as far as to say the goal was “the best shot I’ve ever seen in my life.”

HF-L’s David Goetz (4) and John Mozrall (26) try to control the ball.

In overtime, both teams exchanged chances but when midfielder Alex Ptucha, who was selected All-Greater Rochester and second-team All-State in 2014, carried the ball down the left side and crossed the ball to the center of the box, Wager knew he had an opportunity to put the game away.

“Ptucha always breaks through like that,” Wager said. “He uses pace on that sideline. He plays perfect balls over the middle, all I had to do was be there.”

Heading into the match, HF-L head coach Mike Merrill said he knew that his squad and Sutherland’s were the best in the tournament and that, despite losing twice to the Knights in the regular season, he knew his team could walk away champions again.

And while HF-L was relishing in the win, Merrill knows the Cougars face a “really good” Greece Athena team on Tuesday. But, in the meantime, he and his team will soak it all in.

“We’ll definitely celebrate tonight,” Merrill said. “Sectional championships are a great thing.”

Brocport’s Austin Myers (3) forces Arcadia QB Tyler Dalle to dump a pass and duck under pressure.

Canandaigua’s Coron Broomfield (21) follows his blocker to run past Athena’s Thai Avies.

Arcadia defensive laineman Anthony Finucane sacks Brockport’s Ashton Scott in a 16-7 Blue Devils win.

Brocport’s Austin Myers (3) forces Arcadia QB Tyler Dalle to dump a pass and duck under pressure.

Football

Brockport’s Jeremy Michels (10) makes on of his two interceptions on this pass intended for Arcadia’a Brandon Barnhart. Brockport beat Arcadia 16-7 in the Class A semifinal matchup.

Brockport turned two of the shortest touchdown runs possible and four turnovers by Greece Arcadia on Saturday, into a 16-7 win and its first appearance in a Section V football final for the Blue Devils.

Brandon Lamere, a senior at Brockport, kicked a 29-yard field goal at Sahlen’s Stadium in Rochester with three minutes remaining to give the Blue Devils’  a nine-point lead in the Class A tournament semifinal.

The Brockport Blue Devils (8-1), No. 1 seed in the Class A tournament, play No. 2 Canandaigua (7-2) in the final, 6 p.m. next Saturday back at Sahlen’s Stadium.

Canandaigua’s last football championship came in 2007. Brockport has reached a sectional semifinal round the last six seasons.

“We’re glad it’s us,” Brockport coach Scott Nugent said. “We’ve been here enough times, and finally got over the hump for the first time.”

Arcadia scored first, three plays after a 14-yard reception by Brandon Barnhart. Xavier McGee took a handoff to his right, stopped and flung a 31-yard pass to a double-covered Reggie Clark with 3:20 remaining in the first quarter.

Brockport had to beat the clock in the second quarter to even the score with 11 seconds left, a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Ashton Scott on 4th-and-goal.

The Blue Devils took the lead with 3:24 to play in the third quarter. Again, it had to happen on fourth down, as Brockport was at the Arcadia 1 after  a timeout. Scott took the snap and ran with sophomore running back Cory Gross trailing to the quarterback’s left. When an Arcadia defender made the decision to go after the quarterback, Scott pitched the ball with his left hand to Gross, who carried it into the end zone.

JAMESJ@GANNETT.COM 

Sports

Tally the production of Bryan Wager through sectionals, and it’s clear he was productive for the Honeoye Falls-Lima Cougars.

“He scored one goal versus Wayne, I think they had three guys on him,’’ HF-L coach Mike Merrill said. “Two goals against Greece Olympia. Two goals against (Pittsford) Sutherland.

“They had to pay so much attention to him, he really carried us. He’s produced tremendously for us.’’

There was nothing the Greece Athena Trojans could do to mark Wager, however, when Section V’s qualifier match for the Class A state tournament moved to penalty kicks.

Wager made the game-ending kick after a 1-1 tie with Athena to push HF-L into the state regional round Friday night.

“We played the same team last year, the same game, right after a sectional final,’’ Wager said. “They took to us. This year, we just tried to stay in it.

“We got all the way to PKs, and we know that we have a great goalie in James Bonnadonna and we have a bunch of finishers, so we were pretty confident going into it.”

HF-L (12-6-2), Section V’s Class A2 champion, continues its season at 7:30 Friday night at Spencerport, against either Grand Island or Iroquois of the Buffalo region. Grand Island, Section VI’s A1 champion, and Iroquois played Tuesday night at Hamburg.

“I’m ecstatic, especially for the seniors who worked so hard the last two, three years,” Merrill said. “This was kind of the hurdle we didn’t get over last year.

“Greece Athena was an excellent team this year and last year, so it’s quite an accomplishment for them to beat a great team like that.’’

Athena, a team in the Monroe County league that won its first Section V championships last fall, defeated HF-L 3-1 in last year’s sectional “A” state qualifier. The Trojans went on to win the state championship.

To extend their chance to repeat the feat, the Athena Trojans needed to win Tuesday’s match between Section V champions. Athena, Section V’s Class A1 champion, had to come from behind.

Pressure early in the second half turned into a 1-0 lead for HF-L. Jake Converse, a senior midfielder, scored with 28 minutes remaining in regulation. Athena put pressure on seconds later, and was rewarded with 25:08 remaining,

Bonadonna bent over to scoop a ball near the goalpost on his left, but Athena freshman forward CJ Taketch kicked it around and past the goalie. Either team could have moved ahead during the remainder of regulation and the two 15-minute “sudden victory” periods.

Bonadonna made nine saves. At least four required tips or punches over the crossbar by the HF-L senior goalie.

“I love PKs,’’ Bonadonna said. “My teammates hate me in practice, because I usually save them. I don’t know what happened out there. They had some great shots.'”

Parker Hotchkiss, a sophomore, gave HF-L a 4-3 advantage during the penalty kicks, with Athena’s fourth attempt to come.

“I couldn’t read the kid,” Bonadonna said. “He hit it well and I ended up guessing wrong; that doesn’t happen often. It was a great shot, but he just got a little bit unlucky.’’

Athena senior midfielder Tamer Ozkum’s kick hit the post to his right and the goalie’s left.

“That’s life,” Athena coach Mike Butler said. “It’s a cruel way to lose, no matter which team did.

“We had a great effort, nothing but good feelings about it.”

JAMESJ@gannett.com

v

A sequel to the Section V Class AA boys soccer final had a happy ending this time for the Hilton Cadets.

The Cadets ended a 28-year wait for their second sectional title Tuesday night when they defeated Fairport, 1-0, at Spencerport in a rematch of last year’s Class AA final

Fairport, the No. 6 seed, won the 2014 championship and made it back to the final, despite a large toll taken because of graduations. Last year’s 2-1 outcome of the sectional AA final also was memorable for the Cadets, who did not allow a goal in this year’s tournament.

“Coming into sectionals we were 6-9-1,” Hilton senior Simon Garno said. “We beat the No. 1 seed (Webster Schroeder) in the second round; that was huge for us, big confidence.

“Then we had Churchville-Chili, a four seed; they were a tough match. We split with them (during the regular season).”

Garno scored the goal early in the second half. The ball may have gone off a Fairport defender.

“I saw that there were 28 minutes left and I knew that those would be the longest 28 minutes of my life,” Garno said. “We dug, stuck it out and we defended well.

“You have to battle once you score in a sectional final.”

The Cadets (10-9-1) move on to face Williamsville North from Section VI, the Buffalo region, at 7 p.m.. Saturday at Spencerport.

“For us to come in again and to have two lower-seeded teams come in and be the final two was a very big deal,”  Hilton coach Mike Ellicott said. “And our boys, they had last year’s game fresh in their minds.

“They wanted to get that revenge. They did.”

Garno floated in a ball on goal that skipped off the turf among a clump of players

“It was not the style of play we’ve been accustomed to this season. It wasn’t the prettiest,” McEllicott said with a smile. “The next we know, he’s celebrating a great goal.

“It was just Simon’s nice lofted shot into the back corner, which is always going to cause trouble for keepers.”

JAMESJ@gannett.com

Aquinas quarterback Jake Zembiec throws a touchdown to Jalen Pickett.

Rush-Henrietta QB Jared Gerbino scores on a touchdown run in the first quarter against Victor at Sahlen’s Stadium on Nov. 1, 2015.

Resiliency it appears, or some kind of stubborn streak, was required for admission into the Section V Class AA football final.

When the area high school football playoffs began, the Rush-Henrietta Royal Comets had three losses, not exactly the mark of a title contender.

The three losses cannot be wiped away, but neither can the Royal Comets it seems, who are in the tournament final after knocking off two undefeated teams.

Rush-Henrietta, a 20-19 winner over Victor during the semifinals Sunday at Sahlen’s Stadium, faces another unbeaten team for the Section V Class AA championship next Sunday, No. 1 seed Aquinas (9-0).

“Everybody thinks that AQ is just going to beat us around, like they do (to other teams),’’ Rush-Henrietta senior receiver/defensive back Jashaun Smith said. “We’re going to practice hard, play hard and we’re going to see what happens.’’

Aquinas players may not be among those who expect their team to just beat around the Royal Comets when the final is played 4 p.m. on Nov. 8, back inside Rochester’s soccer stadium.

No. 4 Hilton (7-2) led Aquinas, tied for No. 1 in the state rankings, by seven points late in the third quarter. Then the bid for the upset bounced away and became a 21-14 win for Aquinas.

“They were big, physical and ran the ball at us,’’ Aquinas junior Jason Hawkes said. “The fourth quarter came around and we stepped it up, played hard.

“We played just as physical as them, we came up and made plays.’’

Hilton was on top 14-7 after a 1-yard quarterback sneak into the end zone by Johnathan Letta with 2:42 to play in the third quarter. Letta was 8 of 16 passing for 79 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown throw to Bailey Pittman in the second quarter.

Conditions were windy, but there were throws that Hilton receivers should have held held on to.

Schedule & results: Section V football playoffs

Shemar Hayes of Aquinas hugs Hilton’s Bailey Pittman after Hilton was intercepted late in the fourth. "Keep your head up, you’re a great player,” Hayes told Pittman.

Jake Zembiec, an Aquinas senior who committed to play at Penn State last fall, threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Pickett to help Aquinas even the score with 18 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

A fumble at the Hilton 40 with 11:36 remaining set up the go-ahead score by Aquinas. Zembiec used his feet to move Aquinas inside the Hilton 20, and then scored on a 2-yard run with 8:18 to play.

Zembiec finished with 61 yards rushing on 10 carries, in part, because senior running back Taylor Riggins left the game with an injury. The Aquinas quarterback also was 9 of 16 passing for 101 yards with a touchdown and interception, in part, because because scoring-threat Earnest Edwards left the game with an injury.

It was the Hilton Cadets who needed to figure out a way to score with more than four minutes remaining. They moved to the Aquinas 46, when Anthony Flegler intercepted a pass that bounced off a receiver.

Rush-Henrietta quarterback Jared Gerbino and Reggie Robinson, both seniors, had a better connection against Victor, with the score 13-13.

A play-call came in that put Rush-Henrietta in the wrong formation, according to Gerbino. Adjustments were made, Gerbino dodged pressure from Victor’s defense and threw a pass to a spot in the middle of the field he expected Robinson to occupy.

Robinson made the catch and sped off to the end zone for a 36-yard touchdown that gave Rush-Henrietta the lead with 4:06 remaining. Victor’s power-run game offense beat the clock however, and scored a touchdown on a 17-yard run by Patrick Barrow with 53 seconds remaining. Rush-Henrietta’s lead was 20-19.

Blue Devils coach Geoff Mandile decided Victor would go for two points. Barrow carried again, this time to his left, but fell to the turf short of the end zone. Victor junior Zack Estabrooks recovered an onside kick however, and that allowed the Blue Devils to reach the R-H 32.

R-H’s Joseph Ortiz intercepted a pass with no time remaining.

JAMESJ@GANNETT.COM

Canandaigua’s Coron Broomfield breaks away from Athena’s Jake Eccleston (8).

Coron Broomfield.

Name; Coron Broomfield.

School: Canandaigua Academy.

Age/class: 17/senior.

Sport/position; Football/running back.

Family: Parents, Tawana Jones (mother), Lauren and Deven York (guardians); brother, David Williams, 23; brother, David York, 17, brother, Will York, 14; sister, Emily York, 13; sister, D’Asia Jones, 1.

Academics: B-plus average.

Last week: Tied a Section V football playoff record with 42 carries during Canandaigua’s 28-21 win over Greece Athena during the Class A semifinals. Broomfield, listed at 5 foot-7 inches and 170 pounds, finished with 258 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

About me:  “I have two families. My mother lived in Canandaigua for awhile, but decided to leave. I’m grateful that the Yorks took me in (when he was in sixth-grade).” … “I plan to go to college to play lacrosse or football, I’m not sure yet. I plan to major in architecture or financial business.’’ … Midfielder on the Canandaigua boys varsity lacrosse team last spring and plans to play next season. … “My favorite running back is (ex-San Diego Charger/New York Jet) LaDainian Tomlinson. He was just a hard-nosed player, he just got the job done.’’ … Favorite food is grilled chicken.

Girls Athlete of the Week: Natalie Zaravella

Batavia quarterback Greg Mruczek, right, was selected all-state in Class B last fall.

High school football coaches in Section V nominated players of the week during the season and members of the area’s high school football committee chose those winners and the Players of the Year recipients below. The awards, sponsored by Ontario Honda, will be presented during the sectional finals this weekend at Sahlen’s Stadium in Rochester.

Offense

Class AA: Aquinas quarterback Jake Zembiec, senior.

Class A: Greece Athena quarterback Tavon Granison, junior

Class B: Batavia quarterback Greg Mruczek, senior

Class C: East Rochester/Gananda running back Cameron Cleveland, junior

Class D: Red Jacket running back Sean Sheets, senior

Defense

Class AA: Penfield linebacker Jack Hartnett, senior

Class A: Greece Arcadia linebacker Noah Barnard, senior

Class B: Hornell linebacker Tyler Crouch, senior

Class C: Bath defensive back Michael Rice, senior

Class D: Clyde-Savannah linebacker Jarrod Faniel, senior

Aquinas quarterback Jake Zembiec throws a pass rolling out of the pocket during a regular season game played at McQuaid Jesuit.

Hilton varsity football coach Rich Lipani reminded fans of local high school football that Aquinas senior quarterback Jake Zembiec is more advanced than most quarterbacks his age.

There were people who were impressed with Rush-Henrietta senior quarterback Jared Gerbino, too, last week during the Section V Class AA semifinals.

Zembiec, who committed to play at Penn State University last November, probably is the most accurate passer in Section V. In a twist, the 2013 Class AA state player of the year helped Aquinas defeat Hilton in the Class AA sectional semifinals with 61 rushing yards on 10 carries, including the go-ahead touchdown, a two-yard run, in a 21-14 win for Aquinas.

Jake Zembiec’s 2015 statistics

Gerbino, who sprained both ankles this season and played on despite the injuries, was 9 of 12 passing for 127 yards against defending champion Victor. He ran 55 yards to score Rush-Henrietta’s first touchdown and threw a 36-yard scoring pass to Reggie Robinson in the fourth quarter of R-H’s 20-19 win.

Rush-Henrietta quarterback Jared Gerbino has helped the Royal Comets beat two undefeated teams during the Section V Class AA tournament. .

Aquinas (9-0) and Rush-Henrietta (6-3) meet in the Section V Class AA Championship, 4 p.m. Nov. 8 at Sahlen’s Stadium in Rochester. Below, just for fun, are the statistics for Gerbino and Zembiec this season.

Jake Zembiec’s 2015 statistics

Jake Zembiec – Aquinas 

Completions: 113

Attempts: 167

Yards: 1,882

Touchdowns: 26 TDs

Interceptions: 5

Completion percentage: 67.7.

Yards per completion:, 16.6

Jared Gerbino – Rush-Henrietta

Completions: 58

Attempts: 130

Yards: 1,237

Touchdowns: 17

Interceptions: 2

Completion percentage: 44.6.

Yards per completion: 22.3

*Note: Second among the Royal Comets with 643 rushing yards with seven touchdowns.

Rush-Henrietta quarterback Jared Gerbino has helped the Royal Comets beat two undefeated teams during the Section V Class AA tournament. .

Aquinas quarterback Jake Zembiec throws a pass rolling out of the pocket during a regular season game played at McQuaid Jesuit.

Aquinas quarterback Jake Zembiec throws a touchdown to Jalen Pickett.

Hilton varsity football coach Rich Lipani reminded fans of local high school football that Aquinas quarterback Jake Zembiec is more advanced than most quarterbacks his age.

There were people who were impressed with Rush-Henrietta senior quarterback Jared Gerbino, too, last week during the Section V Class AA semifinals.

Zembiec, who committed to play at Penn State University last November, probably is the most accurate passer in Section V. In a twist, the 2013 Class AA state player of the year helped Aquinas defeat Hilton in the Class AA sectional semifinals with 61 rushing yards on 10 carries, including the go-ahead touchdown, a 2-yard run, in a 21-14 win for Aquinas.

Aquinas rallies to overtake Hilton

Rush-Henrietta QB Jared Gerbino on the run against Victor.

Gerbino, who sprained both ankles this season and played on despite the injuries, was 9 of 12 passing for 127 yards against defending champion Victor. He ran 55 yards to score Rush-Henrietta’s first touchdown and threw a 36-yard scoring pass to Reggie Robinson in the fourth quarter of R-H’s 20-19 win. 

Aquinas (9-0) and Rush-Henrietta (6-3) meet in the Section V Class AA Championship at 4 p.m. Sunday at Sahlen’s Stadium in Rochester.

Zembiec has completed 67.7 percent of his 167 passes, including 26 for touchdowns, versus five interceptions. Gerbino makes good use of his 6-foot-4 inches and 215 pounds as a runner, as he is Rush-Henrietta’s second-leading rusher (643 yards, seven touchdowns). He has 17 touchdown passes and two interceptions among 130 attempts.

Here are four more things to watch during the sectional finals, Nov. 7 and 8 at Sahlen’s:

2. Injuries at Aquinas: The Aquinas offense has to play on without a starting running back versus Rush-Henrietta, and the playing status of the team’s leading scorer is uncertain.

“We’re not going to use this as an excuse,” Aquinas coach Chris Battaglia said. “We have to play.”

Leadng rusher Taylor Riggins (521 yards and seven touchdowns) is sidelined with an torn knee ligament. Riggins was injured last Sunday during the semifinal round while being tackled. It’s a loss for the Aquinas defense also, as Riggins is a senior with a verbal commitment to play linebacker at Syracuse University.

Earnest Edwards, a senior with 22 touchdowns, is dealing with a hip injury after a hard landing at the end of a punt return Sunday. Battaglia said whether Edwards, a cornerback on defense, will try to play in the final probably won’t be decided until game day.

Jake Zembiec’s 2015 statistics

3. Ready to ‘Rocc‘: Let’s talk about another quarterback.

Bishop Kearney senior Todd LaRocca, who threw for 1,936 yards and 24 touchdowns for last season’s sectional finalist, has a chance to make history at his school. The Kings face Clyde-Savannah in the Class D final, noon Saturday.

There are plenty of Bishop Kearney basketball champions, but the last football team to win a title at the school was in 1989.

LaRocca’s passing numbers are similiar this season, 1,858 yards and 19 touchdowns with seven interceptions.

“He’s doing exactly what I want to do, be a good leader and take what teams are giving him,” Bishop Kearney coach Eddie Long said. “He is that captain and leader we need him to be.

“These guys know how important the game is to the school. They are excited to try and change that.”

Rush-Henrietta holds off Victor to reach AA final

4. Gain more ground: East Rochester/Gananda has a running back near the 2,000-yard mark this season.

Cameron Cleveland must pick his way through what has traditionally been a rugged Bath defense in the Class C final at 3 p.m. Saturday. Cleveland is 54 yards from 2,000, with 1,946 and 25 touchdowns.

Both the Bombers and Rams are 9-0 this season.

Canandaigua to face first-time finalist Brockport

5. Class A rematch: The name of the game is to win, and that’s what the Brockport Blue Devils (8-1) have done, with or without a wow-style.

The Blue Devils, finalists for the first time in team history, will try to top Canandaigua for the second time this season, in the Class A title game at 6 p.m. Saturday.

The Blue Devils defeated Canandaigua, 33-28 at Brockport in Week 2.

Section V Class A – A loose ball between Brockport’s Shane Hogan and Canandaigua’s Mike Zimmerman in the first quarter at Sahlen’s Stadium in Rochester, N.Y. on Saturday, November 7 2015.

Section V Class A – Brockport’s Antonio Alvarez catches a pass for a touchdown chased by Canandaigua’s Leamon Casteen in the second quarter at Sahlen’s Stadium in Rochester, N.Y. on Saturday, November 7 2015.

Since Brockport had Canandaigua’s number this season, the Blue Devils can now say they are No. 1.

Brockport, a first-time finalist in the Section V playoffs, defeated Canandaigua 28-7 Saturday night during the Class A final at Sahlen’s Stadium in Rochester.

Cory Gross ran for two touchdowns and Ashton Scott threw a touchdown pass in the first half for the Blue Devils (9-1), who were the No. 1 seed in the Class A tournament and defeated Canandaigua during the regular season.

“It’s a great feeling to get over the hump and be the champions for once,” Gross said. “It’s a credit to these guys for working so hard.”

Now a first-time state quarterfinalist, Brockport faces Section VI champion South Park of the Buffalo region, 6 p.m. Nov. 14 in Rochester. The Blue Devils had seen their season end during sectional semifinal rounds the previous five years.

“You know, every year you think it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen and we get to semifinals six years in a row and then we get over the hump,” Brockport coach Scott Nugent said. “We just had a great performance. We had an awesome week of practice, so I thought it was possible.

“You always second-guess yourself in everything that you do, but we had a great week. It’s just an awesome season for us.”

Section V Class A – Canandaigua’s Mike Zimmerman contributes to bring down Brockport’s Cory Gross in the second quarter.

Gross, a sophomore, was named the most valuable player of the game. He finished with 88 yards on 20 carries and intercepted a pass, one of five turnovers by No. 2 seed Canandaigua (7-3).

Canandaigua committed three turnovers during the first half, including a fumble. Shane Hogan intercepted a deflected pass with 4:14 remaining in the first quarter that set up Brockport’s first score.

The Blue Devils turned to Gross to carry during the drive and he scored from three yards out after taking the snap in a “Wildcat” formation.

Brockport’s lead went to 14 points after an 18-yard reception by Antonio Alvarez with 15 seconds remaining in the second quarter. The Blue Devils’ offense went three and out in their first possession of the second half.

Canandaigua, meanwhile, seemed to get in gear, as it scored on the team’s first possession of the second half. Joe Post, after a 27-yard reception earlier in the short drive, scored at the end of an 11-yard pass from Mitch Schaefer.

Gross helped extend Brockport’s lead to 14 points again with a 2-yard touchdown run with 2:17 remaining in the third quarter.

“He’s a very athletic running back,” Brockport two-way lineman Tyler Johnson said. “He runs hard every play, one cut and go.”

The Blue Devils already were in firm control when Jon Yaeger sprinted to the end zone during an 8-yard touchdown run with 6:55 remaining in the fourth quarter.

JAMESJ@GANNETT.COM